"When the rivers freeze and summer ends" we reflect on the "year that was" it is time to look forward to the 2017-18 Fall Season. It is hard to figure that our 2017-18 fall youth programs started last night and this morning at the box!

2017 was a great year. The Summer time at the Box and the Webster Classic highlighted another great year of Webster families getting together to celebrate and teach the medicine game. With the close of the 2016-17 season, as a Board, we have a lot planned...it is going to be a great fall. Visit the Webster Lacrosse Club website or visit us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/196212724043902/

HOUSEKEEPING ISSUES

It would be great if we could look back on the "summer that was" with nothing but memories. Unfortunately, we still have some open business needing attention. There is still a lot of rental equipment that needs to be turned in and some unpaid accounts that need to be brought up to date.

If you still have rental equipment that has not been turned in or if you are a coach that has not returned a coaches bag with goalie equipment. Please return it to the shed or drop it off @ 840 Bridle Lane, Webster. We are missing (7) Goalie sticks and many long poles from the spring.

We are pretty nice about our rental policy. Don't make us stop being nice. There is just no excuse. If you are holding onto equipment, you are keeping it from other kids who want to play the game. It's just not fair to everyone else. Turn it in.

FALLBALL

We will be running K-2nd thru 5-6th Grade youth programs this fall. Registration for all programs is now open. We will use the box a lot this fall. It is the place to be. No experience is necessary to sign up for these fall programs.

The current fall plan for all age groups is as follows:

K-2: Will play on Saturdays from 9:00-10:30A.M. at the Box and adjacent fields starting on 9/16/2017.

3-4th Grade: Will play on Saturdays from 11:00-12:30 P.M. on Saturdays at the Box and adjacent fields starting on 9/16/2017.

5-6th Grade: Will play on Friday Nights, under the lights from 5:30 to 7:00 P.M. at the Box starting September 15, 2017.

7th-12th Grade: Starting September thru end of October. The Schroeder JV/Varsity program to run from 4:30 -6:00 P.M. at the box on Mondays. The Thomas JV/Varsity Program will run at the box on Mondays also from 6:00 – 7:30 P.M.

Willink Modified program will run Thursday evening at the box from 6:00 – 7:30 P.M. Spry Modified program will run Wednesday evening at the box from 6:00 – 7:30 P.M.

All questions about the Scholastic Program should be directed to the Scholastic Coaches or the appointed Scholastic Parent Liason Directors for the school your son attends.

MENS ADULT LEAUGE

We have another year planned of "getting after it." Adult League will run at the box on Tuesday evenings from 6:00- 9:000pm. Known as the ISGI League (I Still Got It) This an 18 and over box lacrosse league for college aged kids and above. It will be a slightly competitive, 4 team league consisting of 4 regular season games and a championship/consolation game. No body checking or boarding will be allowed.

WEBSTER OVER THIRTY PICK UP

This a 30 and over box lacrosse league for men wishing to get exercise by chasing a ball with a stick. The intent of our pickup game is to get exercise and be able to go to work the following day. Thus, players are expected to be competitive but honor the concept that we're not playing for a championship so it's not necessary to be overly aggressive when stick or body checking. Body checking and boarding are not allowed in this program. We understand players may inadvertently get body checked or boarded but it's to be the exception, not the norm. Additionally, most players don't wear rib, slash or bicep guards so cross checking should be done with limited force, if at all.

We will be attending several fall tournaments this fall. Most are toward the end of the fall. TSE Skull and Bones October 21st, TSE Flour City Face Off November 4th.Tully Cornfield Classic JV/Modified/Youth 3/4 & 5/6 will play on Sunday, November 5th and Varsity will play on Saturday, November 4th. We will also host our annual Ghouls, Goals, and Goblins tournament at the Box on Friday October 27th and Saturday October 28th. Participation in fall tournaments is open to kids who have registered for the fall program or who played this past year on a tournament team and are playing a fall sport. All others are at the discretion of the Program Director.

In other words, if you play a fall sport, you can still play on our tournament teams if you can fit it in. But it should also be understood, that if you intend to play in a fall tournament and pick your stick up for the first time in two months, the day of the tournament, the amount of playing time you get might somewhat reflect your lack of familiarity with the "cross." Put another way; touch your stick a little bit in the off-season if you expect to play in a competitive tournament.

The High School and youth coaches will choose the fall tournaments the kids will play in. Information and registration about those tournaments will also be provided in September.

We are planning on hosting our own “8 man" Varsity tournament again this year on Sunday October 29th. Registration will be on line starting in September.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

As a Board, our lacrosse year runs from August 1st to July 31st. So we are just getting started planning for the new year. It is a time to say goodbye to good friends and hello to new ones as our Board adapts to the passage of time. This year we are saying goodbye to Brian Schilling, Jeff Gottstein, Eric Wendorff and Chris Bollin.

We thank them for their years of service, especially Chris Bollin, Chris was one of our longest standing board members Chris served as program director and various other positions on our board for several years. Eric Wendorff and Brian Schilling served as Youth Program directors. The program directors are the most important representatives of our Club. They catch the most grief and have the most. Jeff Gottstein served as an Equipment director in addition Jeff always volunteered to help coach, assist directors and bring his facility expertise to assist with improvement to our box and field facilities.

We will miss all these guys at the Board level. Not just because of their leadership but because of their friendship. As we say goodbye to these good friends, we say hello to some new friends who we hope will fill their shoes.

With the start of the new lacrosse year, we welcome several new members to the Board including Kevin Conroy and John Caricatti. A lot of returning members are also moving into different leadership roles in the Club. Time marches on, our "Core Values" stay the same.

COMMITTEE VOLENTEER POSITIONS NEEDED

We are an all-volunteer organization. We love the Game. But we need your help. We don’t care whether you played the game or are a complete novice. As a Club, we measure success by involvement. The feast is always better when everybody brings a dish to pass. Our unit of measurement for success is about involvement, fun, and life lessons that transcend the game, not just wins and losses or individual accolades. Those latter things are important, but they just seem to be more frequent when we focus on the former...involvement, fun, and life lessons.

At the Board level we are always in a state of transition as our little guys become bigger boys and eventually, grown men and move on to the next station in their lives. We have plenty of need for Committee Chairperson Positions: Registration, Box Facility Maintenance, Scheduling, Publicity Social Media, Website Maintenance, and Fund-raising committees. These are significant positions and we need to form small groups and fill them.

Contact Ed Burns if you are interested participating on a committee.

THANKSGIVING DAY- ALUMNI TURKEYBOWL

Last year's Turkeybowl games were snow bowls! It was Awesome! The Box was cleared with snow blowers and the game was on! This year we are planning on holding this annual event with the 30+ guys playing earlier in the morning and college to 30+ guys playing after that. It is a great time to catch up with old friends and celebrate the day at the Box Lacrosse facility.

HAVE FUN - ENJOY THE FALL

This time of year, as we lose sunlight and the nights get cooler, we ask ourselves the same question: Where does the time go? It was a great year.

Every year is unique. We have every reason to believe this coming year will be just as special. Enjoy the fall and we will see you on the fields. GO WEBSTER!!!

"It's the same story the crow told me; it's the only one he knows. Like the morning sun you come and like the wind you go. Ain't no time to hate, barely time to wait, Wo, oh, what I want to know, where does the time go?"